Lamp hanger



Jan. 8, 1929.

A. J. THOMPSON LAMP HANG E R Filed Feb. 23, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 37 i0m www Jan. 8, 19'29 1,698,418

A. J. THOMPSON LAMP HANGER Filed Feb. 23, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 www# *mmPatented Jan. 8, 1929.

UNITEDl STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAMP HANGER.

Application led February 23, 1923. Serial No. 620,802.

This invention relates to iinprovcinents in lamp hanger structures.

The obj ect of this invention is to provide an improved means for making'electric contact between the upper and lower hanger members of a lamphanger structure s0 as to insure effective engagement between thecontact members. f

More particularly it is the object of this invention to provide aresilient means for supporting the contacts on one of the hanger membersand at the same time serving to pro- :luce effective 'engagement withthe contacts on the other member.

Itis also an object of this invention to provide such an improvedL meansof electric contact in which the parts are readily separable and alsostandardized to a certain extent so as to facilitate the removall andrenewal at a comparatively low cost.`

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through a lamp hanger structureembodying my present improvement and showing the parts locked together;Figs. 1 and 1b illustrate different positions of the resilient supportsfor the electric contacts during manipulation of the lower hangermember; Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig.3 is a detail view taken on line 3-3 of F 2; Fig. 4 is an end view ofone of the lower contact members; Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of oneof the insulator bloclis; and Fig. 7 is an inverted plan view of one ofthe upper contacts.

The general type of lamp hanger Villustrated in the present case issubstantially the same as that shown in my copending application, erialNo.608,446, tiled December 22, 1922, to which reference may be had for aclearer understanding of the same.

Upon the top of the canopy member 1 of the main hanger member there issupported the sheave hoiising 2 in which is mounted the sheave 3 fo-rthe cable 4. This structure is supported b-y means of the ears 5 and thelower part of the sheave housing is secured to the top of the canopy bymeans of screw bolts (i which serve also to secure the slotted tubularmember 7 upon the inside of the canopy 1. As will be more clearlyunderstood from the copending application above referred to, the tubularmember 7 is provided with notches on opposite sides of its slot forlocking engagement with the dog 8 which is pivotally mounted upon thestem 9 carried bythe lower hanger member and adapted for insertion upinto the tubular member 7 In this manner, the

lower hanger member is suspended from the upper hanger member, and theengagement of the dog 8 with the tubular member 7 is controlled by meansof the cable 4 which has its lower end knotted as indicated at 10 forraislng and lowering the lower hanger member, as will be more clearlyunderstood from the application above referred to.

The insulator blocks 11 are secured to the top wall of the canopy 1 bymeans of the screw bolts 12, and have anchored therein the upper ends ofthe bolts 13 which carry the upper contact members 14. Each of thecontact members 14 has a concave contact surface which is curved in onedirection and is provided with a countersunk opening for seating of thehead of the bolt 13, as clearly indicated Y in Fig. 1. The heads of thebolts 13 are also curved so as to conform to the curvature of thecontacting surface of each of the contact members 14. Suitable washersare provided, as for insta-nce.I the fiber washer 15, and therasswashers 16 between which the lead wire 17 is adapted to be clamped.The lead wires 17 are led into the lamp hanger in the same manner asindicated in the copending application above referred to.

The lower contact members 18 are formed with upper convex surfacescurved in one direction for contact engagement with the correspondinglyformed surfaces of the contact members 14 and are seated in the cut outportions 19 provided in the' insulator sections 20. rIhe lower insulatorsections or blocks 21 are duplicates of the upper insulator blocks 20and each of these two insulator blocks in each case is provided with agroove 22 of semi-circular cross section, as indicated in Fig. 5, and ofa substantially U-shaped coniiguration somewhat restricted at its ends,as clearly indicated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The insulator blocks orsections 20 and 21 are clamped together by means of the bolts 23 whichextend through central openings therethrough and have their headsengaging in suitably provided countersinks in the top of the lowercontact inembers 18, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. The tops of theheads of the bolts 23 are given a convex curvature in one directioncorrespondingto the curvature of the top surfaces of the Contact members18. Suitable washers are-provided for the lower ends of the bolts 23 soas to constitute a binding post connection for the lead wires 24 whichconnect with the lamp. In the present case, I have adopted the fiberwasher 25, seated in the out out portion 19; and the brass washers 26between which the lead wires 24 are clamped by means of the brass nuts27. The insulator blocks and 21, when clamped together in the mannerjustV described, are supported by means Y of the laterally extendinglooped spring wire members 28, which have their middle portions formedin a substantially tl-shape corresponding to the shape of the groove 22,and are adapted to seat in said grooves between the insulator blocks 20and 21, as clearly indicated in Fig. l. The two arms of the looped wiremembers 28 are formed as coils 29 and are adapted to be engaged over theprojecting stucs 30 for support thereupon. rl`hese studs are integrallwith thel base portionl of the post member 9 of the lower hangerniember and have-their inner sides beveled or cut away, as indicated at30', so as to facilitate the engagement or mounting of the coil portions29 thereupon. The free ends 3l of the wire members may be anchored inany suitable manner and are here shown as extending between theshoulders 32 and the upstanding ribs 33 formed as part of the baseportion ofthe stem member 9 of the lower hanger member.

An outlet member Se is screw threaded into the bottom end of the postmember 9 and is provided with openings 35 through which ext-end the leadwires to the lamp which in turn is supported upon the screw threaded endportion 86. rllhe closure member 37 is provided for the canopy member 1and is held in engagement with the bottom edge of the canopy member bymeans of the nut 87 and the spring 38 engaging the lower central portionof the closure member 87, which in turn surrounds the outlet member 84.

The parts are so constructed and arranged that, byvirtue of the springnature of the wire members 28, the insulator'members 2O and 2l togetherwith the lower contact members 18 will extend upwardly at an angle whenthe lower lamp hanger mem er is in lowered position, vas illustrated inla. Then, upon raising the lowervhanger member so as to engage the samewith the upper hanger member, the lower contact members 18 will bebrought into eifective wiping engagement with the upper Contact members14, during which engaging action'thc spring wire menibers 28 will permitthe parts carried thereby to be rocked so as to extend downwardly at anangle as illustrated in Fig. 1b and thereby permit the dog 8 to beraised past the notches preparatory to seating in the same. As morefully explained in the application referred to, the cable is thenreleased and the dog member 8 rolls into locking engagement with thenotches of the tubular member 7. As soon are thus eiectively lockedtogether, the parts lcarried by the spring wire members 28 will positionrees/iis assume substantially horizontal position, as illustrated inFig. l, whichposition they will continue to occupy so long as the part-sare in locked engagement, and the contacts are maintained'in eectiveengagement by the tension of the spring members 88. Then, upon raisingthe lower hanger member so as to roll the latch member 8 out ofengagement with the tubular member 7, the spring wire members 28 willpermit the parts carried thereby to again rock downwardly to theillustrated in Fig. lb. Then the lower hanger member is quickly loweredso as to free the latch member 8 :trom engagement with the tubularmember 7, whereupon the' parts carried by the spring wire members 28will again rock upwardly so as to assume an upwardly extending position,as shown in Fig. la.

Thus, it will be seen that l have provided not only an improved meansforA supporting the lower Contacts yand obtaining effective electriccontact engagement of the same with the upper contacts, but l havefurthermore provided such a means which at the same time maintainsei'iective wiping engagement between the contacts duringA manipulationof the lower hanger member while being engaged with and disengaged fromthe upper hanger member. lhave furthermore provided contact members andsupports for the same which are standardized to a certain lextent andwhich can be readily removed and re` newed, thereby increasing theefficiency withf out increasing the cost.

The specific contact supporting Aarras and contacts as here shown aremerely for purposes of illustration, it being possible to adoptotherforms of arms and contacts according to the principle and spirit of thepresent invention.

What l claim is 2- Y Y l. A lamp hanger structure comprising a pair ofreleasably latchable hanger members, contactors fixed in opposedrelation upon one of rsaid hanger members,- opposed springs each xedatone end upon the other hanger member and extending transversely of thedirection of latching movement, insulating means upon the free ends ofsaid springs, and contactors carried by said insulating means and spacedto register with said first named contactors, said springs being adaptedto flex and thereby produce movement of the contacter-s carried therebytransversely of the direction of latching movement, whereby wipingmovement between said pairs of contactors is effected during latching ofsaid hanger members.

2. A lamp hanger structure comprising a pair of releasably latchablehanger members, contactors fixed in opposed relation upon one of saidhanger members, studs upon the other hanger member, springs havingconvolutions engaging said studs and end portions abutloo ting saidother hanger member and free end portions extending outwardly therefrom,insulating means upon said free end portions, contactors carried by saidinsulating means and spaced to register with said first namedcontactors, said springs being adapted to flex and thereby producemovement of the contactors carried thereby transversely of the directionof latching movement, whereby wiping movement between said pairs ofcontactors is effected during latching of said hanger members.

3. A lamp hanger structure comprising, a pair of vertically alignedhanger members releasably latchable by relative axial movement, a pairof contactors fixed upon the upper of said hanger members in oppositelyspaced relation in an axial plane thereof, a pair of generally alignedand radially extending springs secured upon the lower hanger member,each of said springs comprising a wire formed midway of its length witha generally horizontally extending loop, medially of said loop and eachend of said wire with a series of convolutions substantially in saidaxial plane, and with the ends of said wire extendingfrom saidconvolutions in a direction generally tangent thereto, members on saidlower hanger member extending within said convolutions to position saidsprings, said wire ends of said springs abutting portions of said hangermember to maintain said spring loop portions normally extending fromsaid convolutions upward, insulating members secured in said loops, andcontactors secured in said insulating members, said last namedcontactors being spaced correspondingly with said fixed contactors andadapted to yield in said axial plane by flexure of said springs witharcuate movement, whereby wiping engagement between said pairs ofcontactors is ei'l'ected during latching' movement of said hangermembers, the contactors on said upper hanger member being' provided withconcave contacting surfaces, and those on said lowerhanger member withconvex contacting surfaces.

il. A lamp hanger structure comprising a pair of vertically alignedhanger members releasably latchable by relative axial movement, a pairof contactors fixed upon the upper of said hanger members in oppositelyspaced relation in an axial plane thereof, a pair of generally alignedand radially extending springs secured upon the lower lhanger member,each of said springs comprising a wire formed (a) midway of its lengthwith a Vgenerally'horizontally extending loop,

medially of said loop, and each end of said wire with a series ofconvolutions substantially in said axial plane (c) and with the ends ofsaid wire extending from said convolutions in a direction generallytangent thereto, members on said lower hanger member extending withinsaid convolutions to position said springs, said wire being providedwith concave contacting surfaces, and those on said lower hanger memberwith convex contacting surfaces, the proportions and arrangement of theparts of said structure being such that the wiping engagement of saidcontactors during said latching movement of said hanger members,includes relative movement from initial contacting position up to,

eyond, and back to latched contacting position.

5. In a lamp hanger structure comprising a pair of releasably latchablehanger members, a contactor secured on one of said hanger members andhaving a contacting surface arranged generally transverse to thedirection of latching movement, sp1-ino' means on the other hangermember and a contacter positioned on said spring means to abut saidAfirst named contactor when said hanger members are latched, said springmeans being adapted to yield to impart generally arcuate movement to thecontactor carried thereby as the hanger members are latched, to eiiectwiping of said sprung contactor across said surface of said first namedcontactor, said sprung contacter' having a contacting surface curvedcorrespondingly with said yielding movement.

6. In a lamp hanger structure comprising a pair of releasably latchablehanger members, a contactor secured on one of said hanger members andhaving a concave face extending generally transverse to the direction oflatching movement, spring means fixed at one end and extendingtransversely to said direction on the other hanger member, and acontactor carried by said spring means and having a complementary convexface for seating against said iirst named contactor when said hangermembers are latched, said spring mea-ns being yieldable to impartgenerally arcuate movement to the contactor carried thereby as thehangermembers are latched, to effect wiping of the sprung contacter across theface of said first named contactor.

In testimony whereof I hereby atiix my signature.

ALLISON J. THOMPSON.

